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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alex Pattle

Anthony Joshua is ‘technically perfect’ and can ‘easily’ beat Oleksandr Usyk, says Briton’s sparring partner

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Anthony Joshua’s sparring partner Marko Milun has said the Briton is ‘technically perfect’ and can ‘easily’ beat Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch.

Usyk outpointed Joshua with relative ease last September to take the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles from the Briton in London.

“AJ” will try to regain the belts and avenge his loss to the unbeaten Ukrainian when the pair clash in Saudi Arabia this weekend, and Milun has backed Joshua to succeed this time.

“AJ is technically perfect, he just needs good tactics,” Milun said via BoyleSports Boxing Odds. “Good tactics will win the fight.

“AJ is the best technical boxer. Everything he does is perfect; jabs, hooks, uppercuts – AJ looks perfect. If they set him good tactics he will win, easy.

“I told AJ: ‘You need to bully Usyk, you can’t box him.’ Everybody knows that. Maybe Usyk will expect that – he looks heavier this time, but not heavier than AJ. I don’t know how [Joshua] will start and finish the fight, because he trained to attack and he trained defence, he trained everything. In sparring, he is better than last time.

“He only lost by four rounds last time, it’s not too much. If he catches him in those 12 rounds with a little bit of pressure he can knock out Usyk. Of course I can see AJ knockout Usyk, and I hope he will do it. He listens to everything the coach says, he is very disciplined, he listens to everything. It’s like he’s on a joystick.”

Joshua previously lost the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles in June 2019, when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

“AJ” avenged the loss and regained the belts by outpointing Ruiz Jr at the end of that year in Saudi Arabia.

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